THIS IS THE FIRST TIME CRAFTSMAN GU CRAFTING A LARGISH 230-240ml XI SHI!
This stands at 230-240ml! much bigger than his previous 150-160ml Xi Shi's!
This Xi Shi shape of Di Cao Qing Zi Ni by our Craftsman Gu Xiao Ming is outstanding! Gu Xiao Ming has been "roped in" by our Craftsman Chen Fa Chu for us in a happy team because he can do the Xi Shi shape in Zi Ni extremely well!
1. Appreciate Craftsman Gu's DILIGENCE. This Xi Shi of his, incorporates the MOST difficult-to-craft lid-to-body interface: the Qian Gai 嵌盖 interface construction! This Qian Gai interface here of this Xi Shi, is DIFFERENT from the Jie Gai 截盖.
The Qian Gai interface is the most difficult to craft interface construction, but Craftsman Gu did it because: IF DONE RIGHT and survived the firing successfully without deformation: this Qian Gai WILL give the most watertight interface (as the water has to move through TWO 90 degrees right angles before getting to leak out), and the most secure closure.
Qian Gai interface is very difficult to get right with the high shrinkage XiaoMeiYao ZhuNi (immensely high shrinkage causing deformation and high failure rates). Thus, for the XiShi of XiaoMeiYao ZhuNi, which many of you friends had already procured from us, you would have noticed that Craftsman Zhao Yi Yao utilised the Jie Gai interface for his Xi Shi works.
WE GREATLY appreciate that Craftsman Gu, when PRESENTED with the easier to craft Zi Ni, he MADE FULL USE of this fact, to accomplish the MORE CHALLENGING Qian Gai for his Zi Ni Xi Shi here.
Kudos to him.
Salute.
2. Craftsman Gu also conscientiously sculpted a 手推内球孔 Hand-Pushed Spherical Filter to increase the number of filter holes for a solid and fast pour of tea out and with better catching of tea leaves at the bottom fast while allowing tea to flow out from the upper holes. The Fraternity-recognised: Puffer Fish silhouette iteration of this Xi Shi spout, is also crafted here, which accommodates the more generous lumen/outflow, FURTHER accentuating and aiding the swiftness of pour.
3. Meanwhile even further, the base is sculpted intensely so that tea stains don't form easily due to the static pot in touch with the tea liquids on the tea table. Excellent form. Experience only gained through painstaking efforts through the years.
Craftsman Gu Xiao Ming 顾小明 thanks you dearest friends for your grandest support to the honest and dedicated Craftsladies and Craftsmen left to fend the Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art.
Enjoy his diligence, superb, classic handwork with this Xi Shi!!!and let his work accompany you on your tea journey!
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Explained, https://www.realzisha.com/blogs/news/actual-zisha-landscape-at-yixing , the Craftsman by selling his hard-worked ZiSha craft at $190-$240, $45-$65 goes to the cost of the craft, inclusive of the fees for the firing for the kiln operator (three times per pot), the packaging boxes, and between $32 to $52 for the clay (Zi Ni Di Cao Qing, Duan Ni and upwards) used per pot. Craftsman takes 3 days (fastest 2.5days) to craft a pot. Out of 12 pots he makes a month of 30days, 9 pots will survive the kiln firing successfully. Out of 9 pots, a Craftsman on average sells 7 pots per month. For ZiSha models/designs that are very challenging and more complicated to craft, time taken will be longer, and the failure rate will be higher as well. Zhu Ni pots have higher failure rates than Zi Ni and Duan Ni pots too. Our Craftsmen are crazily committed to the cause of Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art and their strictness with their craft and dedication earn our respect. We give a big Thank You all of these Craftsmen, for they are saving what is our common precious tea culture: Tea + Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art and Craft.
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